Family Adds Greek Government to Lawsuit Over Missing U.S. Marine's Heart

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U.S. Marine Sgt. Brian LaLoup, 22, had his heart removed following an autopsy in Greece. His family says the heart was illegally removed and has now gone missing.

Updated at 4:38 PM EST on Wednesday, Dec 11, 2013

The parents of a U.S. Marine who claim their son's heart was "harvested" during an illegal autopsy in Greece have added the Greek government to a lawsuit filed in the wake of his death.

Craig and Beverly LaLoup, of Coatesville, Pa., filed a lawsuit in federal court last Friday against the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Navy and U.S. government for negligence, emotional distress and alleged mistreatment of their son’s body.

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Sgt. LaLoup's body was returned to the U.S. and buried without a heart. His parents claim they weren't told about the missing organ until after their son was laid to rest.

According to the lawsuit, the Greek government then allegedly sent a heart to the family, they claimed was Sgt. LaLoup's. However, the suit states that DNA testing showed it was not his heart.

"We have been concerned about the role of the Greek authorities and the hospital since these proceedings began," Aaron Freiwald, the family's attorney, said of the suit's amendment.

Freiwald said comments from Greek authorities about the case also played into the decision to add the foreign entity to the suit.

Christos Falidais, press secretary for the Greece Embassy in Washington, D.C., tells NBC10 that Sgt. LaLoup's heart was removed for toxicology testing, but would not say what happened to the heart after the tests were performed.

Faildais said the autopsy was done in accordance with Greek law and that the Greek Ambassador in Washington offered his condolences to the soldier's mother a "long time ago."

Questions about whether the wrong heart was sent to the family were not answered. The heart remains missing.

Faildais offered no comment on the Greek government's addition to the lawsuit.